Pamela Derksen

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Educational Assistant

pderksen@westgatemennonite.org

Pam grew up just north of Winnipeg, in the small community of St Andrews.  She attended Mennonite Brethren Collegiate Institute from grade seven through twelve, where she spent most of her time singing in choirs and performing in musicals. After graduating, she attended Canadian Mennonite University, where she earned a Bachelor of Music in voice performance.  Not long after marrying her high school sweetheart, Kevin, the couple moved to Hamilton, Ontario to further Kevin’s studies while Pam worked at a grocery store to support the family.  Following Kevin’s graduation, they moved to St Jacobs, Ontario where they remained for the next 14 years. During this time, Pam nurtured singers of all ages in her private voice studio and raised three children.  When the pandemic arrived, Pam’s business took a hit and she decided that it was time to learn something new.  She spontaneously enrolled in the Educational Support program at Conestoga College in Kitchener to learn how to support students with a wide variety of skills and needs.  After graduation, she worked for Waterloo Region District School Board in a few different high needs congregated classrooms. As spontaneous as her decision may have been, Pam loved the challenges of her new job, and found that her skills as a private voice teacher transferred nicely into a new setting.  While Pam and her family loved their community in Ontario, they felt a strong pull to return to family and proper winters in Manitoba.  When they decided to send their oldest two children to Westgate, Pam kept an eye out for opportunities to make Westgate her workplace as well.  The Derksen family arrived in Winnipeg in July 2023, with Pam having secured her job at Westgate just weeks before!  Pam and her family attend Bethel Mennonite Church, where her husband serves as a Pastor.